Devices and methods related to medical tubes

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and methods for clearing obstructions from a medical tube are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a spool drive system is disclosed for actuating a guide wire within a medical tube. The spool drive system can be a hand held, disposable device having a spool housing with a spool therein for alternately advancing and withdrawing a guide wire through an inlet of the spool housing. A track can be spaced from and extend about a perimeter of the spool to direct the guide wire onto or off of the spool as the spool is rotated. Other embodiments and devices for actuating the guide wire, and methods therefor, also are disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent applicationSer. No. 62/460,070 filed Feb. 16, 2017, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Medical tubes can be used to deliver fluids or devices into a bodyand/or to drain bodily fluids, secretions, and debris from compartmentsand structures within the body. For example, medical tubes can be usedto drain fluid from one's bladder, from the colon or other portions ofthe alimentary tract, or from the lungs or other organs in conjunctionwith various therapies. As another example, medical tubes can be used todrain blood and other fluids that typically accumulate within a bodycavity, such as the mediastinal, pericardial, pleural or peritonealspaces following surgery, infection or trauma. As yet another example,medical tubes can be used to deliver fluids to a body for nourishmentwithin the alimentary tract or they can be used to provide access to thevasculature for removal or delivery of fluids, medications or devices.Typically, a medical tube is inserted into the patient so that itsdistal end is provided in or adjacent the space where it is desired toremove or deliver material while a proximal portion remains outside thepatient's body, where it can be accessed and/or connected, for example,to a suction source.

Fluids passing through a medical tube (particularly when exposed toblood, platelets, pus or other thick substances) can form clots or otherobstructions within the medical tube, which can partially or totallyobstruct the pathway within the tube. Obstruction of the medical tubecan impact its effectiveness to remove or deliver the fluid and othermaterial for which it was originally placed, eventually rendering themedical tube partially or totally non-functional. In some cases, anon-functional tube can have serious or potentially life-threateningconsequences. For example, if there is a blockage in a chest tubefollowing cardiac or pulmonary surgery, the resulting accumulation offluid (e.g., air) around the heart and lungs without adequate drainagecan cause serious adverse events such as pericardial tamponade andpneumothorax.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a fluid system having amedical tube implanted with a patient;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an example drain assemblyfor the fluid system;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-section and a schematic perspective viewof an example vacuum tube for the fluid system;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of an example valve assemblyfor the fluid system;

FIG. 5 shows a partial view of the medical tube with one exampleclearance wire assembly for the fluid system;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective view of the medical tube with asecond example clearance wire assembly;

FIG. 7 shows a partial view of a third example clearance wire assembly;

FIG. 8 shows a schematic perspective view of the medical tube with afourth example clearance wire assembly;

FIG. 9 shows a schematic perspective view of the medical tube with afifth example clearance wire assembly;

FIG. 10 shows a partial perspective view of a sixth example clearancewire assembly;

FIG. 11A shows a schematic side view and a schematic cross section ofthe medical tube with a seventh example clearance wire assembly;

FIG. 11B shows a side view and a front view of an example bead that ispart of the seventh example clearance wire assembly;

FIG. 11C shows a side view, top view and front view of another examplebead that is part of the seventh example clearance wire assembly;

FIG. 11D shows a side view, top view and front view of yet anotherexample bead that is part of the seventh example clearance wireassembly;

FIG. 11E shows a clearance wire assembly with multiple beads;

FIG. 11F shows a side view of still yet another example bead that ispart of the seventh example clearance wire assembly;

FIG. 12A shows a schematic perspective view of the medical tube with aneighth example clearance wire assembly that has spherical clearancemembers;

FIG. 12B shows a schematic perspective view of the eighth exampleclearance wire assembly with cup-shaped clearance members;

FIG. 13 shows a schematic perspective view of a ninth example clearancewire assembly;

FIG. 14 shows a schematic cross section of one example drive system fora clearance-wire assembly of the fluid system;

FIG. 15 shows another schematic cross section of the drive system shownin FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 16 shows a schematic cross section of the drive system shown inFIG. 14 with a lead screw driving mechanism;

FIG. 17 shows an example linear actuator that can be used to drive thedrive system shown in FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 18 shows a schematic, partially broken-away perspective view of asecond example drive system for a clearance-wire assembly of the fluidsystem;

FIG. 19A shows a schematic perspective view of a third example drivesystem for a clearance-wire assembly of the fluid system;

FIG. 19B shows an exploded view of the third example drive system;

FIG. 19C shows a schematic perspective view of the third example drivesystem with a control system and motor housing removed;

FIG. 19D shows a schematic perspective view of the third example drivesystem with the motor housing removed;

FIG. 19E shows a schematic, partial cross-section view of a variation ofthe third example drive system;

FIG. 20 shows a schematic, partial cross-section view of anothervariation of the third example drive system;

FIG. 21 is a schematic perspective view of a fourth example drive systemfor a clearance-wire assembly of the fluid system;

FIG. 22A is an exploded view of a fifth example drive system for aclearance-wire assembly of the fluid system;

FIG. 22B is a perspective view of the fifth example drive system;

FIG. 23 is a schematic perspective view of a drive system with a powerassembly separated from a main body of the drive system;

FIG. 24 shows a schematic side view of a fluid system with a drivesystem that is configured to permit calibration of the drive system;

FIG. 25 is a cross-section view of an example Y-coupling that can beused to couple the medical tube of the fluid system with anotherstructure;

FIG. 26 is a cross-section view of another example Y-coupling that canbe used to couple the medical tube of the fluid system with anotherstructure;

FIG. 27 is a cross-section view of another example Y-coupling that canbe used to couple the medical tube of the fluid system with anotherstructure;

FIG. 28 is a schematic, partial-cross-section view showing an exampleelastic member for the fluid system;

FIG. 29 is a schematic, partial-cross-section view showing an exampleconical seat for the fluid system; and

FIG. 30 is another embodiment of the described fluid system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to betaken as a limitation on the present invention. Relative language usedherein is best understood with reference to the drawings, in which likenumerals are used to identify like or similar items. Further, in thedrawings, certain features may be shown in schematic form.

It is to be noted that the terms “proximal” and “distal” as used hereinwhen describing two features indicate a relative positioning that thosetwo features will generally have along a fluid path that is tied to apatient, the distal feature being closer to the patient than theproximal feature along the fluid path. For example, for a medical tubethat draws or delivers fluid to a patient, a distal end or portion ofthe medical tube will be closer to the patient than a proximal end orportion of the medical tube along the flow path of the fluid. As anotherexample, in a fluid system wherein a medical tube fluidly connects apatient to a drain, the drain will be proximal to the medical tube sincethe drain is farther from the patient than the medical tube along theflow path of the system. Conversely, the medical tube will be distal tothe drain since the medical tube is closer to the patient than the drainalong the flow path of the system.

It is to be noted that the term “material” as used herein can refer toblood or other bodily fluids, medicine, food, debris, clot material(such as blood clot), air or any other fluid, solid, or semi-solid,including pus.

The term “coupled” as used herein when describing two or more featuresmeans that the features are fixedly or movably connected to each other.The features may be integral parts of the same component or the featuresmay be separate components that are connected, either directly orindirectly, using structure or methods such as, for example, fasteners,adhesive, over-molding, hooks, threaded couplings, snap-fit connections,welding, soldering, tying, crimping, magnetic coupling, press-fit,barbed connections, etc. The term “fluidly coupled” as used herein whendescribing two or more features means that the features are coupled in amanner such that fluid communication is provided between the twofeatures, either directly or through some intermediate structure. Suchintermediate structure can be, for example, hoses, tubes, hose barbs,threaded connectors, compression fittings, etc.

Examples will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which example embodiments are shown.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a fluid system 10 having amedical tube 100 that includes a distal end 102 positioned within thebody of a patient and a proximal end 104 positioned outside of thepatient's body. The medical tube 100 can correspond to the medical tubedisclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0231361, thecontents of which are attached as Exhibit A and incorporated byreference herein in their entirety.

The medical tube 100 is a tubular member that defines a passageway 106,which extends through the medical tube 100 from its distal end 102 toits proximal end 104 and provides fluid communication through themedical tube 100. Preferably, the medical tube 100 comprises a materialhaving elastic properties, such as, for example, silicone or some otherelastic polymer, such as one of the various thermoplastics. Using anelastic material can help facilitate a fluid-tight seal between themedical tube 100 and fluid fittings such as barbs since an elastic tubewill tend to contract over fluid fittings when coupled thereto.Moreover, a flexible, elastic tube 100 can reduce discomfort for thepatient compared to tubes of more rigid materials such as polypropyleneor polyethylene. However, if desired these and other rigid materials maybe used. Moreover, a flexible, elastic tube 100 can reduce discomfortand potential injury to the patient compared to tubes of more rigidmaterials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyimide, metal, etc.However, if desired these and other rigid materials may be used.Moreover, in some examples, the medical tube 100 can comprise acomposite of two or more materials such as, for example, a thermoplasticand a metal. Preferably, the medical tube 100 is made from a clear(i.e., transparent or substantially transparent) material, so anoperator can visualize any clot material or other debris therein, aswell as its removal.

The medical tube 100 can be used to deliver material (e.g., medicine,nourishment, instrumentation, etc.) to the patient's body and/or removematerial (e.g., blood, clots, other bodily fluids, etc.) from thepatient's body through the passageway 106 of the medical tube 100. Inthe present example, the medical tube 100 is inserted into and used todrain fluid from the chest cavity of the patient, and so is referred toas a chest tube. However, it is to be appreciated that the medical tube100 in other examples may be used as, for example, a catheter, asurgical drain tube to drain fluid from other orifices (besides thechest cavity), an endotracheal tube, a feeding tube, a gastric tube, avascular access tube, a peritoneal tube, a tube to deliver material toor from the alimentary tract, etc.

In some examples, the fluid system 10 can include a drain assembly 200that is configured to collect material (e.g., bodily fluids, debris,clots, etc.) from the patient's body and/or within the medical tube 100.The drain assembly 200 includes a receptacle 202 fluidly coupled to theproximal end 104 of the medical tube 100 that can receive and collectthe drawn material. The receptacle 202 is preferably fluidly coupled tothe medical tube 100 to form a closed path of fluid communicationbetween the medical tube 100 and the receptacle 202. The phrase “closedpath of fluid communication” as used herein when describing fluidcommunication between two features is meant to describe a fluid pathbetween the two features wherein exposure to an exterior environment isrestricted along the fluid path, thereby preserving a sterile field thatmay be present within the fluid path. For example, the fluid pathbetween two features may be defined by a tube that is coupled at its twoends to the two features and has no openings along its length that areexposed, either directly or indirectly, to an exterior environment. Insome examples, exposure to an exterior environment may be restrictedalong the fluid path using, for example, a valve or filter. Moreover, insome examples, the fluid path will maintain a pressure relative to anexterior environment.

The drain assembly 200 can be connected to a vacuum source to draw avacuum on the medical tube 100, or it can be configured to generate avacuum itself. This vacuum is applied to draw material out of the bodycavity and/or medical tube 100 into the receptacle 202. The vacuumgenerated within the medical tube 100 can help sustain the normalphysiologic negative pressure within the body. Moreover, the vacuumgenerated can be consistent or intermittent. Furthermore, the vacuumsource, e.g. the drain assembly 200, can be operated either manually byan operator or automatically to generate the vacuum in response to oneor more conditions.

Turning to FIG. 2 , one example drain assembly 200 is illustrated havinga receptacle 202 that includes an inlet 208 and an outlet 210, the inlet208 being fluidly coupled to the proximal end 104 of the medical tube100 to form a closed path of fluid communication between the inlet 208and the medical tube 100. The inlet 208 may include a check valve thatpermits material (e.g., blood, clotting, etc.) to drain from the medicaltube 100 into the receptacle 202 while inhibiting fluids (e.g., air) andother material from leaving the receptacle 202 through the inlet 208.Moreover, the outlet 210 may include a check valve within that permitsmaterial (e.g., air, blood, etc.) to escape the receptacle 202 throughthe outlet 210 while inhibiting fluids (e.g., air) and other materialfrom entering the receptacle through the outlet 210. The receptacle 202is collapsible to reduce the volume within the receptacle 202 and forcefluid (e.g., air, blood) out of the receptacle 202 through the outlet210. The receptacle 202 can then expand to increase its internal volumeand thereby generate a vacuum that draws material from the medical tube100 into the receptacle 202 through the inlet 208.

The drain assembly 200 in FIG. 2 further includes one or more actuators214 operable to collapse and expand the receptacle 202. The actuator 214in the illustrated example is a linear actuator that can advance andretract to expand and collapse the receptacle 202, respectively.However, the actuator 214 in other examples can include other means suchas springs that are operable to collapse and expand the receptacle 202.

In some examples, the fluid system 10 includes a control system 300 thatcan be configured to automatically operate one or more aspects of thefluid system 10 such as, for example, the drain assembly 200 describedabove and/or any of the aspects described further below. The controlsystem 300 includes a controller 302 and a control interface 304 (e.g.,button(s), switch(es), touchscreen, etc.) that can permit a user toselectively control (e.g., program, operate, etc.) the control system300. Moreover, the control system 300 can include one or more sensors306 operatively connected to the controller 302 and configured to detecta particular parameter and send a signal to the controller 302indicating the detected parameter. Each sensor 306 can be located withinthe medical tube 100 or some other portion of the fluid system 10.Moreover, the parameter detected by each sensor 306 can be, for example,an orientation (e.g., inclination) of the medical tube 100; a positionof a clearance member or some other structure within the medical tube100; a pressure level, pH level, glucose level, protein level, or redoxstate of material (e.g., bodily fluid) within the medical tube 100; ablockage within the medical tube 100; a kink in the medical tube 100; anamount of fibrin clot degradation byproducts, endotoxins, bacterialinfection byproducts, reactive oxygen species, or hematocrit in themedical tube 100; a temperature, heart rate and rhythm, arrhythmia,respiratory rate, inflammation level, pain level, or oxygen saturationlevel of the patient; an orientation of the patient in bed; an activitylevel of the patient; coughing of the patient; the number of steps takenper day by the patient; a type of activity being performed by thepatient (e.g., stair climbing); a location of the patient; the length oftime a patient has been in a particular area (e.g., the OR, the ICU, theward, rehab, home, etc.); drainage parameters (e.g., lack of air,minimal fluid per hour, etc.); or any combination thereof. In oneembodiment, the one or more sensors 306 can include a GPS tracker suchthat the patient's location can be tracked (e.g., within an OR, an ICU,a stepdown unit, a rehab unit, a home, an ER, etc.).

The controller 302 of the control system 300 can be in operativecommunication with a network system to send data collected or generatedby the controller 302 via the network to, for example, a system (e.g., aclinician's phone) used to monitor and collect data concerning thepatient or the fluid system 100 connected to the patient. For example,the control system 300 can send data corresponding to one or more of theparameters detected by the sensors 306. As another example, thecontroller 302 can collect data from one or more of the sensors 306 andthen execute an algorithm to generate an output based on the collecteddata that can then be sent over the network. For instance, in oneexample, the controller 302 can execute an algorithm that determines anexpected recovery of a patient based on one or more of the parametersdetected by the sensors 306. The expected recovery output may then besent over the network to a monitoring system (e.g., a clinician'sphone). The network can be any system wherein two or more devices areconnected via wires or are connected wirelessly (e.g., via Bluetooth orWi-Fi) such that data can be transferred from one device to another. Forexample, the network can be a cloud system that shares data (e.g.,detected parameter(s)) between two or more devices over the internet.

In some examples, the controller 302 can be configured to activate oneor more alarms 310 in response to the parameter(s) detected by thesensor(s) 306. Each alarm 310 can be a light, sound, electronic message(e.g., text or email), or any combination thereof. For instance, in oneexample, the controller 302 can activate a light that is green, yellow,or red based on the expected recovery of a patient. As another example,the controller 302 can activate an alarm to indicate when a patient mayneed to move (e.g., walk or get up). In another example, the controller302 can activate an alarm 310 based on a status of the system (e.g., apressure within the medical tube 100; a kink in the medical tube 100; anon/off mode of one or more actuators, motors, or other devices of thesystem; etc.)

As shown in FIG. 2 , the controller 302 of the control system 300 can beoperatively coupled to the actuator(s) 214 of the drain assembly 200 andconfigured to automatically operate the actuator(s) 214 in response toone or more of the parameter(s) detected by the sensor(s) 306. Inparticular, the controller 302 can be configured to automaticallyoperate the actuators 214 to generate or terminate a vacuum within themedical tube 100 in response to the detected parameter(s). The vacuumgenerated can be consistent, intermittent, and/or variable in pressure.

Turning to FIG. 3 , the drain assembly 200 in some examples can includea vacuum tube 240 that is at least partially inserted within the medicaltube 100 through the latter's proximal end. A distal end 242 of thevacuum tube 240 can include an inlet 244 for receiving/drawing inmaterial within the medical tube 100. Meanwhile, a proximal end of thevacuum tube 240 can be fluidly coupled to a vacuum source such as, forexample, the collapsible receptacle 202 shown in FIG. 2 and describedabove. The vacuum tube 240 is movable within the medical tube 100 suchthat the inlet 244 of the vacuum tube 240 can be advanced toward thedistal end 102 of the medical tube 100 and retracted toward the proximalend 104 of the medical tube 100 to adjust the position of the vacuumtube's inlet 244 along the passageway 106 of the medical tube 100.Adjusting the position of the inlet 244 can be advantageous,particularly if fluid or other materials to be drawn by the drainassembly 200 are confined to a particular region of the medical tube 100(e.g., at U-shaped bend in the medical tube 100).

In order to adjust the position of the vacuum tube 240, the drainassembly 200 can include drain tube having or in the form of acollapsible sheath 246 having a distal end 248 and a proximal end 250.The distal end 248 of the sheath 246 can be fixed or fluidly connectedto the proximal end 104 of the medical tube 100 and the vacuum tube 240can extend through the sheath 246 into the medical tube 100. The vacuumtube 240 can be fixed relative to the proximal end 250 of the sheath 246such that as the sheath 246 is contracted and the proximal end 250 movestoward the distal end 248 of the sheath 246, the vacuum tube 240 and itsinlet 244 will advance through the medical tube 100 toward the distalend 102 of the medical tube 100. Conversely, as the sheath 246 expandsand the proximal end 250 moves away from the distal end 248 of thesheath 246, the vacuum tube 240 and its inlet 244 will retract and bewithdrawn from the distal end 102 of the medical tube 100.

The sheath 246 described above can be expanded and/or contracted eithermanually or automatically using a control system such as, for example,the control system 300 described above. In particular, the controller302 of the control system 300 can be operatively coupled to an actuator(e.g., a linear actuator) that can be selectively operated to expandand/or contract the sheath 246 in response to the parameter(s) detectedby the sensor(s) 306 of the control system 300.

As fluid or other material resides in or is transferred through themedical tube 100, some material (e.g., debris, clots, etc.) canaccumulate within the medical tube 100, thereby obstructing the transferof material and/or vacuum through the medical tube 100. The vacuumdescribed above can sometimes be sufficient to draw this accumulatedmaterial through the medical tube 100 into the receptacle 202 unaided byadditional intervention. However, in some instances it can be helpful tohave additional intervention(s) that can disrupt (e.g., collect,dislodge, move, break apart, penetrate, etc.) the accumulated materialto help clear the medical tube 100 of obstruction.

For instance, turning to FIG. 4 , the drain assembly 200 in someexamples can include one or more valves 254 configured to pulsate thevacuum generated within the medical tube 100 in order to facilitateremoval of material accumulated within the medical tube 100. Each valve254 can be located, for example, within the medical tube 100, within theinlet 208 of the receptacle 202, or anywhere else along the fluid pathof communication between the medical tube 100 and the vacuum source(e.g. receptacle 202). Each valve 254 can be selectively opened andclosed, either manually or automatically, to open and close fluidcommunication between the medical tube 100 and the vacuum source tothereby pulsate the vacuum generated within the medical tube 100. Forinstance, in some examples, each valve 254 can be operatively coupled tothe controller 302 of the control system 300 described above, which canautomatically open and close the valve 254 to pulsate vacuum in responseto one or more parameters (e.g., tube blockage) detected by thesensor(s) 306 of the control system 300. Pulsating the vacuum within themedical tube 100 can help generate turbulence within the medical tube100, which can disrupt material accumulated within the passageway 106 ofthe medical tube 100 and thereby facilitate removal of the accumulatedmaterial.

Returning to FIG. 1 , in some examples the fluid system 10 can include aclearance wire assembly 400 that can be actuated (e.g., translated,rotated, vibrated, oscillated, etc.) within the passageway 106 of themedical tube 100 to disrupt material accumulated within the passageway106 and help clear the medical tube 100 of obstruction. The clearancewire assembly 400 includes an elongated guide wire 402 and in someexamples, can include one or more clearance members coupled to the guidewire 402 that can facilitate disruption of material accumulated withinthe passageway 106. Preferably, the guide wire 402 comprises a materialhaving sufficient flexibility such that it can negotiate bends in themedical tube 100 during translation (e.g., insertion) of the wireassembly 400 within the medical tube 100. In addition, the guide wire402 preferably comprises a material having sufficient stiffness orrigidity such that the guide wire 402 and any clearance members coupledthereto can disrupt (e.g., move) the accumulated material withoutcausing the wire 402 to kink or double back on itself. For instance, theguide wire 402 can comprise nickel-titanium alloys (e.g., nitinol),stainless steel, titanium, shape memory alloys, super alloys,cobalt-chromimum alloys (e.g., Elgiloy®), and/or other alloys. In someexamples, the guide wire 402 can comprise one or more polymers, such asPEEK, polyimide, or other polymers. The guide wire 402 can comprisecombinations/composites of two or more materials such as, for example,one or more alloys and one or more polymers. Moreover, any clearancemember coupled thereto can comprise similar material(s) and in someexamples, can be formed by the guide wire 402 itself.

With reference now to FIGS. 5-14 , various embodiments of the clearancewire assembly 400 will now be described.

One embodiment of the clearance wire assembly 400 is illustrated in FIG.5 , wherein the guide wire 402 is in the form of a planar ribbon thatextends longitudinally through the passageway 106, and is wound suchthat it spirals about an axis X of the medical tube 100. The clearancewire assembly 400 in this embodiment may not include an additionalclearance member (the clearance wire itself may act as the clearancemember) and can be moved within the passageway 106 by, for example,rotating the clearance wire assembly 400 about the axis X, advancing theclearance wire assembly 400 toward the distal end 102 of the medicaltube 100, and/or retracting the clearance wire assembly 400 toward theproximal end 104 of the medical tube 100.

Another embodiment of the clearance wire assembly 400 is illustrated inFIG. 6 , wherein the guide wire 402 has a circular spiral conformationwhen viewed along axis X and spirals about the axis X of the medicaltube 100. However, other cross-sections and configurations are possiblein other examples. The clearance wire assembly 400 in this embodimentcan include a hook 408 at its distal end that hooks onto the distal end102 of the medical tube 100. A cap (not shown for clarity) may beprovided that covers the distal end 102 of the medical tube 100 and thehook 408 to allow free movement of the hook 408 about the distal end 102without interference from body structures or tissue. The proximal end ofthe clearance wire assembly, meanwhile, can be coupled to the proximalend 104 of the medical tube 100 or some other portion of the fluidsystem 10 that is proximal to the hook 408. The clearance wire assembly400 can be actuated within the passageway 106 by, for example, rotatingthe clearance wire assembly 400 about the axis X continuously orintermittently, either in the same direction or in an oscillatingmanner. As the clearance wire assembly 400 rotates, the hook 408 willmove about the perimeter of the medical tube's distal end 102 so thatthe distal end of the clearance wire assembly 400 does not bind andrather moves freely with the remainder of the clearance wire assembly400. Rotation of the wire assembly 400 in this embodiment in FIG. 6 inthe proper direction can produce an auger effect that will tend toconvey accumulated debris within the passageway 106 proximally, towardthe exit end of the medical tube 100.

Another embodiment of the clearance wire assembly 400 is illustrated inFIG. 7 , wherein the guide wire 402 has a circular cross-section and hasone or more bends 412 along its length. However, other cross-sectionsand configurations are possible in other examples. In some examples, adistal end of the clearance wire assembly 400 will reside within thedistal end 102 of the medical tube 100 and/or some other portion of themedical tube 100 and will be free to move (e.g., rotate) within themedical tube 100. The proximal end of the clearance wire assembly 400can then be rotated either continuously or intermittently in the samedirection or in an oscillating manner. In other examples, the clearancewire assembly 400 can be fixed at its distal end to the distal end 102of the medical tube 100 and/or some other portion of the medical tube100. The clearance wire assembly 400 can then be actuated by, forexample, rotating the proximal end of the clearance wire assembly 400about the longitudinal axis of the medical tube 100 (e.g., the X axis inFIG. 6 ) in an oscillating manner, either continuously orintermittently. Since the distal end of the wire assembly 400 is fixed,the distal end will resist movement of the wire assembly 400 and biasthe wire assembly 400 toward a natural, resting position. This bias ofthe wire assembly 400 can help generate a whipping action as the portionof the clearance wire assembly 400 inside the passageway 106 oscillatesabout the axis X that can facilitate disruption of material accumulatedwithin the medical tube 100. In one embodiment, the wire has no setbends but has length that is longer than than required to connect to thefixed points at its distal and proximal ends such that the excessmaterial partially coils the wire within the tube. When the proximal endis actuated, by rotation or other means, a whipping action results.

Another embodiment of the clearance wire assembly 400 is illustrated inFIG. 8 , wherein the guide wire 402 has a circular cross-section and thewire assembly 400 includes a plurality of clearance members 416 coupledto or forming part of the wire 402 such that the clearance members 416are spaced along a length of the wire 402, preferably at a constantinterval. In a preferred embodiment, each clearance member 416 is formedby bending a portion of the wire 402 into a spiral shape that preferablyhas a comparable or slightly smaller overall diameter than the innerdiameter of the medical tube 100. As the clearance wire assembly 400 isadvanced or retracted through the medical tube 100, each clearancemember 416 can engage the inner surface of the medical tube 100 to helpdisrupt any material that may have accumulated on the inner surface. Byhaving multiple clearance members 416 spaced along the wire 402, theclearance wire assembly 400 can engage multiple portions of the medicaltube's inner surface while translating through the medical tube 100.Moreover, the wire 402 can be actuated less than the entire length ofthe medical tube 100 such that repeated actuation conveys materialproximally through the entire length of the tube 100 via the pluralityof clearance members 416.

It is to be appreciated that the clearance members 416 of the wireassembly 400 can have alternative configurations in other examples. Forinstance, the clearance members 416 may be irregularly spaced along thewire 402 and/or the clearance members 416 may be separate elements thatare separately coupled to the wire 402. Moreover, the clearance members416 may have alternative shapes and/or sizes in some examples.

Another embodiment of the clearance wire assembly 400 is illustrated inFIG. 9 , wherein a cylindrical clearance member 422 is coupled to theguide wire 402. In this embodiment, the medical tube 100 can include oneor more apertures 110 that extend through its side wall at a portion ofthe medical tube 100 that is located within the patient's body. Thecylindrical clearance member 422 is aligned co-axially within themedical tube 110 and preferably has an outer diameter that is comparableto or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the medical tube 100.In some examples, the clearance wire assembly 400 can be translatedalong the medical tube's axis X toward the distal end 102 of the medicaltube 100 such that the clearance member 422 traverses the one or moreapertures 110 and performs a guillotine action that can disrupt materialaccumulated in or adjacent the apertures 110 and temporarily block thetransfer of material through the apertures 110. Guillotined materialthat has thus been separated from where it adhered to the medical tube100 or its apertures 110 then can be suctioned out from the medical tubevia its proximal end 104. The clearance wire assembly 400 can then betranslated (either toward the distal end 102 or the proximal end 104 ofthe medical tube 100) until the clearance member 110 is at a positionthat does not obstruct the apertures 110, thereby permitting material toresume transfer through the apertures 110.

In addition or in alternative to translating the clearance member 422,in some examples the cylindrical clearance member 422 can be rotatedabout the medical tube's axis X while the clearance member 422 islocated at the section of the medical tube 100 having the apertures 110.In such examples, the clearance member 422 can include an aperture(e.g., slot) 423 such that as the clearance member 422 is rotated, theaperture 423 of the clearance member 400 will periodically align withthe medical tube apertures 110 and permit fluid to transfer through theapertures 110, 423.

Another embodiment of the clearance wire assembly 400 is illustrated inFIG. 10 , wherein the clearance member 424 is a generally circular disccoupled at the distal end 102 the guide wire 402, though the clearancemember 424 may be coupled to other portions of the wire 402 in otherexamples. The circular clearance member 424 is aligned co-axially withinthe medical tube 100 (though it may be offset in some examples) andpreferably has an outer diameter comparable to or slightly smaller thanthe inner diameter of the medical tube 100. Moreover, the circularclearance member 424 can have a solid or perforated center that inhibitsor fully blocks the transfer of material through the circular clearancemember 424. In some examples, the center may comprise a one-way valvethat will permit material transfer therethrough during translationtoward the distal end 102 of the tube 100 so as not to push materialback into the body.

The circular clearance member 424 can be formed by looping a portion ofthe guide wire 402 to form a circular frame 426 of the clearance member424. Filler material 428 can then be attached (e.g., adhered or welded)to the circular frame 426 to plug the center of the clearance member424. In other examples, the circular clearance member 424 can be a discthat is separately formed from the guide wire 402 (e.g., via injectionmolding, casting, stamping, etc.) and then attached to the guide wire402.

It is to be appreciated that the clearance member 424 can havealternative configurations in other examples. For instance, theclearance member 424 may have a substantially smaller diameter and/ormay be a separate element that is separately coupled to the wire 402.Moreover, the clearance member 424 may have a non-circular shape in someexamples such as, for example, a square shape or some other polygonalshape.

Another embodiment of the clearance wire assembly 400 is illustrated inFIGS. 11A & 11B, wherein a clearance member 432 in the form of a bead iscoupled to the guide wire 402. The bead 432 includes an outer surface434 that is circular in cross-section and has a diameter than variesalong the length of the bead 432. In particular, the diameter isgreatest at a center of the bead 432 and is smallest at the proximal anddistal ends of the bead 432. Preferably, the diameter of the bead 432 atits center is comparable to or slightly smaller than the inner diameterof the medical tube 100, thereby forming an interface at the centerbetween the bead 432 and the inside of the medical tube 100. By varyingthe diameter of the bead 432 along its length, the surface area of thebead 432 that engages the medical tube's inner surface can be reduced(compared to a cylindrical member of the same length and having aconstant diameter comparable to the ID of the medical tube 100), andfriction between the bead 432 and the medical tube 100 can be mitigated.However, in some examples, the bead 432 may have a constant diameteralong its length. In a preferred embodiment, there is a slight gapbetween the bead 432 and the inner diameter of the medical tube 100 suchthat fluid will be conveyed in part due to surface tension effects atthe interface between the bead 432 and the medical tube 100.

The bead 432 can be coupled to the distal end of the wire 402 or someother portion of the wire 402. Moreover, the bead 432 can be integrallyformed with the wire 402 or the bead 432 can be separately formed andthen attached to the wire 402. In the illustrated example, the bead 432includes a through-hole 436 that is aligned (e.g., parallel) with themedical tube's axis X and the bead 432 is coupled to the wire 402 suchthat a portion of the wire 402 passes through the through-hole 436. Thebead 432 can be coupled by molding the bead 432 directly onto the wire402 or by molding the bead 432 separately from the wire 402 and theninserting the wire 402 through the through-hole 436.

In some examples, the bead 432 can include a through-hole 438 that isaligned (e.g., coaxial) with the medical tube's axis X and permitsmaterial (e.g., blood or other bodily fluids) to transfer through thebead 432 as the wire assembly 400 is translated through the medical tube100 or at rest. This can mitigate resistance applied to the bead 432during translation. This can also serve to allow free flow of materialthrough the bead 432 when it is at rest in any portion of the medicaltube 100. It can also serve to equalize pressure on the distal andproximal sides of the bead 432, especially when it is translating.Although fluid may be free to flow through the hole 438, the body of thebead 432 surrounding the hole 438 can still provide a clearance functionas the bead 432 is actuated through the medical tube 100. In someexamples, a one-way valve can be provided within the hole 438 that willopen during advancement of the bead 432 and close during retraction ofthe bead 432 through the medical tube 100.

In some embodiments the bead 432 may have a relatively largethrough-hole 432 relative to its outer diameter such that the bead 432becomes a thin walled configuration, as shown in FIG. 11C.

In other examples, the bead 432 may be substantially solid so as not topermit the transfer of material through the bead 432. In such examples,the bead 432 may still include the through-hole 436 discussed above forcoupling the bead 432 to the wire 402. Preferably, the through-hole 436is fit to the wire 402 such that fluid communication through the hole436 is substantially inhibited by the presence of the wire 402 withinthe hole 436.

In some examples, the bead 432 may have a skirt 438 extending from thebody of the main body of the bead 432, as shown in FIG. 11D. The skirt438 may be made from a flexible material such as an elastomer or a wiremesh. The skirt 438 can engage the inner diameter of the medical tube100 to produce a squeegee effect that moves fluid an debris along thetube 100 with the bead 432. In other embodiments the skirt 438 may beattached to other clearance members or directly to the guide wire 402.

In some embodiments, one or more beads 432 may be coupled to the wire402, as shown in FIG. 11E. Moreover, one or more beads 432 may becoupled in combination with other clearance member configurations. Inone embodiment the distal end 102 of the medical tube 100 and anyperforations in the medical tube 100 are sized such that the bead 432cannot escape the medical tube 100 through the distal end 102 orperforations. In particular, the distal end 102 of the medical tube 100can be tapered to a smaller diameter or can include a tip that issufficiently smaller than the bead 432 to prevent it from leaving thedistal end 102 of the tube 100. Another example bead 432 is illustratedin FIG. 11F.

Another embodiment of the clearance wire assembly 400 is illustrated inFIG. 12A, wherein the clearance wire assembly 400 is in the form of aconveyor loop that extends through the passageway 106 of the medicaltube 100 and can move or circulate in a conveyor motion. In thisembodiment, the clearance wire assembly 400 includes a conveyor belt 440(e.g., the guide wire 402) and one or more pulleys 442 located withinthe medical tube 100 or some other portion of the fluid system 10 aboutwhich the belt 440 can be wound in order to yield its circuitous,never-ending travel path. The belt 440 may be a wire or monofilament.Moreover, the belt 440 can be ribbon-shaped such that the belt 440 has arectangular cross-section. Alternatively, the belt 440 can bewire-shaped such that the belt 440 has a circular cross-section. Thewire assembly 400 can be moved such that the belt 440 conveyscontinuously or intermittently about the pulleys 442. Moreover, wireassembly 400 can be moved such that the belt 440 conveys at all times inthe same direction (e.g., clockwise) or in alternating directions (e.g.,clockwise and then counter-clockwise).

The conveyor-type wire assembly 400 in FIG. 12A can include one or moreclearance members 444 coupled to the belt 440 that can be conveyed alongthe aforementioned circuitous path through the passageway 106 as thebelt 440 rounds the pulleys 442 along its circuitous path. The clearancemembers 444 may be spaced approximately one inch apart from each other,though other distances are possible in other examples. Moreover, theclearance members 444 can be spherical or may comprise other shapes suchas, for example, flat discs, hemi-spheres, or cups. For instance, theclearance members 444 shown in FIG. 12A comprise spherical beads thatare connected to the belt 440. In another example, as shown in FIG. 12B,the clearance members 444 may comprise cups, wherein each cup 444 isarranged such that its opening is directed toward the cup's direction oftravel.

Another conveyor-type embodiment of the clearance wire assembly 400 isillustrated in FIG. 13 , wherein the wire assembly 400 similarlycomprises a belt 440 and clearance members 444 as described above. Inthis embodiment, the medical tube 100 has two proximal portions 114 thatwill reside outside of the patient's body and a distal portion 116 thatwill reside in the patient's body. The distal portion 116 will connectthe two proximal portions 114 to form part of a continuous loop 118 thatruns through the patient. Moreover, the distal portion 116 can includeone or more apertures 120 for material to transfer between the medicaltube 100 and the patient's body. The medical tube 100 may penetrate thepatient's body in two separate locations so that the distal portion 116can reside within the patient's body. Alternatively, the same incisionsite may be used for both ends of the tube 100.

The belt 440 of the clearance wire assembly 400 in FIG. 13 can beconveyed continuously or intermittently about the continuous loop 118,either in the same direction or in alternating directions.

As is apparent from the description above, the clearance wire assembly400 can have a variety of different configurations, any of which can beactuable (e.g., movable) through the medical tube 100 to facilitatedisruption of material accumulated within the medical tube 100. Withreference now to FIGS. 14-22 , various drive systems will now bedescribed that can facilitate movement of the clearance wire assembly400 in the manners discussed above.

As shown in FIGS. 14 & 15 , the fluid system 10 in some embodiments caninclude a magnetic drive system 500 that is operable to actuate theclearance wire assembly 400. One form of actuation that can be providedby the magnetic drive system 500 is translation of the clearance wireassembly 400 back and forth through the medical tube 100 along the axisX of the medical tube 100. Another form of actuation that can beprovided by the magnetic drive system 500 is rotation of the clearancewire assembly 400 within the medical tube 100 about the axis X. Themagnetic drive system 500 can correspond to the clearance devicedisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,951,243, the contents of which are attachedas Exhibit B and incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

The magnetic drive system 500 includes a guide tube 510 having a distalend 512 that is fluidly coupled to the proximal end 104 of the medicaltube 100 and a proximal end 514 that is fluidly coupled to a suctionsource such as, for example, the receptacle 202 of the drain assembly200 shown in FIG. 2 . The guide tube 510 defines a guide-tube passageway516 and an outer circumference 518.

The drive system 500 further includes a magnetic guide 530 having one ormore first magnetic elements 532 that are fixedly coupled to the guidewire 402 of the clearance wire assembly 400. The first magnetic elements532 can be permanent magnets such as, for example, neodymium magnets(N5-N52). Alternatively, the first magnetic elements 532 may be metalelements having magnetic properties, which are not necessarily permanentmagnets. As used herein, a metal element has magnetic properties if itis capable of being attracted by a permanent magnet via magnetic forces.

The drive system 500 further includes a shuttle member 540 disposedover, and preferably in contact with, the outer circumference 518 of theguide tube 510. The shuttle member 540 has a through bore preferablyhaving a diameter substantially corresponding to the outer circumference518, such that the shuttle member 540 can slidably and smoothlytranslate along the length of the guide tube 510 with the guide tube 510received through its bore. The shuttle member 540 includes one or moresecond magnetic elements 542 embedded or enclosed within a shuttlehousing 544. Optionally, the second magnetic element(s) 542 can form allor part of the housing 544. Alternatively, the shuttle member 540 mayconsist only of the second magnetic element(s) 542. In the illustratedembodiment, the second magnetic elements 542 are provided in the form ofrings wherein the guide tube 510 passes through openings at the centerof each said ring. As with the first magnetic elements 532 discussedabove, the second magnetic elements can be permanent magnets or metalelements having magnetic properties that are not necessarily permanentmagnets. The magnets may be coated or plated using nickel, gold, epoxy,PTFE, parylene or other metals, alloys, polymer or combination thereof.The coating may serve as a barrier layer to prevent degradation of themagnet material, prevent leaching of metals from the magnet, provide abiocompatible and/or thromboresistant surface and/or provide a lowfriction surface for sliding on the guide tube.

The first and second magnetic elements 532, 542 of the magnetic guide530 and shuttle member 540 are aligned magnetically with respect to eachother to produce a magnetic force between the first and second magneticelements 532, 542 that acts through the wall of the guide tube 510 tomagnetically couple the shuttle member 540 to the magnetic guide 530.Consequently, sliding or translating the shuttle member 540 along thelength of the guide tube 510 induces a corresponding translationalmovement of the magnetic guide 530 magnetically coupled thereto, and ofthe guide wire 402 that is fixedly coupled to the magnetic guide 530.Thus, the shuttle member 540 can be translated along the guide tube 510to move the guide wire 402 of the clearance wire assembly 400 throughthe medical tube 100. Furthermore rotation of the shuttle member 540tube may provide rotation of the clearance wire assembly 400.

Preferably, the first and second magnetic elements 532 and 542 haveaxially-aligned North-South polarity relative to the longitudinal axisof the guide tube 510, though the magnetic elements 532 and 542 can haveradially-aligned North-South polarity in some examples. It has beenfound that magnets having axially-aligned polarity can provide suitableattractive force between the magnetic elements 532 and 542 to retain themagnetic guide 530 and shuttle member 540 in tandem while translatingthe shuttle member 540 along the tube 510 length, without undulyincreasing friction as they translate along the tube 510.

In some examples, the drive system 500 also includes distal and proximalretaining members 526 a, 526 b fixedly coupled to the guide wire 402 onopposite sides of the magnetic guide 530. The retaining members 526 a,526 b are preferably dimensioned so that they cannot pass through thedistal and proximal ends 512, 514 of the guide tube 510, respectively,thereby retaining the magnetic guide 530 and the associated region ofthe guide wire 402 inside the guide tube 510. Thus, the distal andproximal retaining members 526 a, 526 b can provide limits to thedistance translatable by the guide wire 402 through the medical tube100. Moreover, in some examples, the drive system 500 can include one ormore shuttle stops 550 coupled to the outer circumference 518 of theguide tube 510 that can prevent translation of the shuttle member 540beyond the shuttle stops 550 and thereby inhibit further translation ofthe guide wire 402 through the medical tube 100.

The shuttle member 540 of the drive system 500 can be translated alongthe guide tube 510 either directly by hand or with a separate drivemechanism. For instance, as shown in FIG. 16 the drive system 500 caninclude a lead screw 562 and a motor 564 that is operable to rotate thelead screw 562. In this example, the shuttle member 540 can include acoupling portion 566 with a threaded bore extending at least partiallytherethrough that threadably receives lead screw 562. As the motor 564is operated to rotate the lead screw 562, the shuttle member 540 willtranslate along the lead screw 562 and consequently translate along theguide tube 510 of the drive system 500, thereby moving the guide wire402 of the clearance wire assembly 400. The direction of translationwill depend upon the direction of rotation for the lead screw 562.Preferably, the motor 564 is operable to rotate the lead screw 562 inboth clockwise and counter-clockwise directions such that the motor 564is operable to move the guide wire 402 of the clearance wire assembly400 both forwards and backwards. The lead screw could be a standardthreaded rod and can have thread designs commonly used for lead screwssuch as an acme thread.

In some examples, one or more electromagnetic linear actuators can becoupled to the shuttle member 540 to translate the shuttle member 540 ina linear motion along the guide tube 510. Such actuators are generallyknown in the art, and may be coupled to the shuttle member 540 asillustrated in FIG. 17 . In this example, the drive system 500 includesa carriage 566 having a nest 568 into which the shuttle member 540 isreceived. The nest 568 may receive the shuttle member 540 using a numberof mechanical fits such as, for example, a releasable snap fit, a slipfit, an interference fit, or a compression fit. Alternatively, thecarriage 566 may have one or more posts that each mate into acorresponding female fitting on the shuttle member 540, or vice versa.Other means for mechanically securing the shuttle member 540 to thecarriage 566 may be used such as, for example, straps, zip ties, clamps,or an enclosure that at least partially encloses the shuttle member 540.Alternatively, the carriage 566 may have a magnetic element such aspermanent magnet(s) or an electromagnet that directly couples to themagnetic guide 530, thereby eliminating the need for the shuttle member540. The carriage 566 can be coupled to (e.g., be part of) a linearactuator and can be actuated by the linear actuator to result intranslation of the clearance wire assembly 400 inside the guide tube 510and therefore the clearance member(s) inside the medical tube 100. Forexample, the carriage 566 may be coupled to an actuator 570 having alead screw 572 or a ball that is rotated by a motor to actuate thecarriage 566. The motor could be a DC or AC motor. It could be a steppermotor or servo motor. The carriage 566 may also be coupled to a beltdrive actuator wherein the carriage 566 is mounted on a belt that isunder tension and driven by a motor. The carriage 566 may havebearing(s) that ride along a rail(s). Such a system could employencoders and/or limit switches (such as proximity switch, reed and/orhall effect sensors) with the appropriate control systems to actuate thecarriage 566 between two or more positions resulting in clearance memberactuation within the medical tube 100.

Still in other examples, the carriage 566 can be coupled to one or morepneumatic actuators to actuate the carriage 566 and shuttle member 540in a linear motion along the guide tube 510.

Still in other examples, the drive system 500 can include a worm drivemechanism wherein a spur gear is rotated by a motor. The spur gear canthreadably engage a lead screw that is fixed relative to the shuttlemember 540 such that rotation of the spur gear will cause the lead screwto translate across the spur gear and consequently cause the shuttlemember 540 to translate in a linear motion along the guide tube 510.

The magnetic drive system 500 can comprise a variety of different drivemechanisms that can be operable to translate the shuttle member 540along the guide tube 510 and consequently translate the guide wire 402of the clearance wire assembly 400 through the medical tube 100.Moreover, any of the drive mechanisms discussed above can be operativelyconnected to a control system such as, for example, the control system300 described above, to automatically control the drive mechanism. Inparticular, the controller 302 of the control system 300 can beoperatively coupled to the actuator/motor of the drive mechanism and canbe configured to selectively operate the actuator/motor according to aparticular program and/or in response to the parameter(s) detected bythe sensor(s) 306 of the control system 300.

Turning to FIG. 18 , the fluid system 10 in some embodiments can includean induction motor drive system 600 that is operable to rotate theclearance wire assembly 400 within the medical tube 100. The inductionmotor drive system 600 includes a rotor 630 disposed within a tubeportion 632 which, in the present example, corresponds to a portion ofthe medical tube 100. In other examples, the tube portion 632 maycorrespond to a guide tube or some other tube that is fluidly coupled tothe proximal end 104 of the medical tube 100. The rotor 630 is fixedlycoupled to the guide wire 402 of the clearance wire assembly 400 suchthat rotation of the rotor 630 will cause the portion(s) of the guidewire 402 fixedly coupled thereto to rotate with the rotor 630. In theillustrated example, the rotor 630 is fixedly coupled to a proximal endof the guide wire 402, though the rotor 630 can be fixedly coupled tomore distal portions of guide wire 402 in other examples. The rotor 630can either be a wound type or a squirrel-cage type rotor.

The induction motor drive system 600 further includes a shuttle member640 disposed over the outer circumference of the tube portion 632wherein the rotor 630 is located. The shuttle member 640 includes astator 642 embedded or enclosed within a shuttle housing 644 that ispreferably slightly spaced from the tube portion 632 such that an airgap will be present between the stator 642 and the rotor 630. In someexamples, the shuttle member 640 may consist only of the stator 642.

The stator 642 of the shuttle member 640 is aligned with the rotor 630within the tube portion 632 such that when AC current passes throughwindings of the stator 642, a rotating magnetic field will be generatedthat causes the rotor 630 within the tube portion 632 to rotate, whichin turn will cause the portion(s) of the guide wire 402 fixedly coupledthereto to rotate. The speed of rotation can be adjusted by adjustingthe frequency of the AC current supplied the stator 642.

The stator 642 of the induction motor drive system 600 can beoperatively connected to a power source (e.g., controller) that isconfigured to selectively supply AC current to the stator 642. Forinstance, the stator 642 can be operatively connected to the controller302 of the control system 300 described above, which can selectivelysupply AC current to the stator 642 to selectively operate the inductionmotor drive system 600 and rotate the clearance wire assembly 400 in anyof the manners described above. In particular, the controller 302 can beconfigured to selectively operate the induction motor drive system 600according to a particular program and/or in response to the parameter(s)detected by the sensor(s) 306 of the control system 300.

In some examples, the induction motor drive system 600 can be configuredsimilar to the magnetic drive system 500 such that the shuttle member640 of the induction motor drive system 600 can me translated along thetube portion 632 to translate the guide wire 402 within the medical tube100. In such examples, the shuttle member 640 of the induction motordrive system 600 can likewise be driven manually or by any of thedriving mechanisms described above in connection with the magnetic drivesystem 500.

Turning to FIGS. 19A-E, the fluid system 10 in some embodiments caninclude a spool drive system 700 that is operable to translate theclearance wire assembly 400 within the medical tube 100. The spool drivesystem 700 in some examples can correspond to the clearance devicedisclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0231313, thecontents of which are attached as Exhibit C and incorporated byreference herein in their entirety. In one example, as shown in FIGS.19A-D, the spool drive system 700 comprises a spool housing 702 havingan inlet 704 that can be coupled to the proximal end 104 of the medicaltube 100. The spool housing 702 comprises a first portion 706 and asecond portion 708 that can be coupled together (e.g., via fasteners,welds, adhesive, etc.) to form an enclosure. Within the spool housing702 resides a spool 710 that is rotatable about an axis. Moreover, thespool housing 702 defines a track 712 that is spaced from the spool 710and extends at least partially about the perimeter of the spool 710,following a substantially similar line of curvature as the spool 710.

The guide wire 402 of the clearance wire assembly 400 can fed throughthe inlet 704 of the spool housing 702 and coupled (e.g. via set screw,adhesive, press fit, etc.) to the spool 710 such that rotation of thespool 710 about the spool's axis causes the guide wire 402 to wind orunwind about the spool 710 and move between an advanced state and aretracted state. In some embodiments, the distal end of the guide wire402 may be positioned within the medical tube 100. If the spool 710 isrotated in one direction, the guide wire 402 will wind about the spool710, causing the guide wire 402 (and any clearance member coupledthereto) to translate away from the distal end 102 of the medical tube100 (i.e., retract). Conversely, if the spool 710 is rotated in theopposite direction, the guide wire 402 will unwind about the spool 710,causing the guide wire 402 (an any clearance member coupled thereto) totranslate toward the distal end 102 of the medical tube 100 (i.e.,advance). Thus, rotation of the spool 710 can control the translation(actuation) of the wire assembly 400 within the medical tube 100.

As the spool 710 is rotated, the track 712 of the spool housing 702 willhelp direct the guide wire 402 onto or off of the spool 710. Moreover,the track 712 can help maintain the guide wire 402 in a wound state andprevent the guide wire 402 from unwinding due to stiffness of the guidewire 402. However, friction from the track 712 can provide resistance tothe guide wire 402 that in some examples, can substantially impedewinding or unwinding of the guide wire 402 onto or off of the spool 710.Thus, the track 712 can comprise one or more aspects that can helpreduce the friction applied by the track 712 to the guide wire 402.

For instance, in the illustrated example, the track 712 comprises agrooved surface 714 that extends at least partially about the perimeterof the spool 710 and includes grooves 716 that are circumferentiallyspaced about the spool 710. The grooves 716 of the track 712 will reducethe surface area of the track 712 that engages the guide wire 402 (ascompared to a track 712 with a non-grooved surface), thereby reducingthe amount of friction applied by the track 712 to the guide wire 402.

In another example, the surface 712 will include ridges (as opposed togrooves) that are circumferentially spaced about the spool 710. Theridges of the track 712 will contact the guide wire 712 (as opposed tothe entire track surface), thereby reducing the surface area of thetrack 712 that engages the guide wire 402 and the amount of frictionapplied by the track 712 to the guide wire 402.

In some examples, the track 712 can comprise wheels 720circumferentially spaced about the spool 710 that will rotatably engagethe guide wire 402, as shown in FIG. 19E. Rotatable engagement of thewheels 720 can provide less resistance than other examples wherein theguide wire 402 engages a rigid surface. In such examples, the wheels 720can be biased towards the spool 710 with springs or other biasingstructure to help maintain engagement of the wheels 720 with the guidewire 402.

Also in some examples, the one or more components of the track 712 maycomprise a low friction material or be coated with a low frictionmaterial such as, for example, hydrophilic coatings, hydrogels,parylene, PTFE, FEP, low friction polymer, or low friction silicone. Forinstance, the grooved surface 714 and/or the wheels 720 described abovemay comprise or be coated with such a low friction material. Or thetrack may have a liner composed of such material, for example, a thinribbon of stainless steel sheet metal (or flat wire) may be coated withPTFE and installed (coupled) with the housing to form the track surfacethat interfaces with the wire. The ribbon may be held in place byvarious means such as adhesive, clips or it may be made from springtemper steel and held in place by spring tension against the housing. Itmay be held in place by other means as well

In one configuration the track 712 is composed of ball bearingscontained within an inner and outer race. In this embodiment the wireengages with the ball bearings allowing for low friction movement of thewire.

In some examples, the spool drive system 700 can include a motor 722that is operable to rotate the spool 710 within the spool housing 702and cause translation of the wire assembly 440 within the medical tube100. As shown in FIG. 19D, the motor 722 can be arranged outside of thespool housing 702 and can be rotatably coupled to the spool 710 withinthe spool housing 702 via a transmission mechanism 724. In theillustrated embodiment, the transmission mechanism 724 comprises a firstbevel gear 726 fixed to a shaft 728 of the motor 722 and a second bevelgear 730 fixed to a shaft 732 of the spool 710 that threadably engagesthe first bevel gear 726. However, the transmission mechanism 724 maycomprise other types and/or combinations of gears and shafts in otherexamples to rotatably couple the motor 722 to the spool 710. Indeed, insome examples, the transmission mechanism 724 may simply consist of ashaft that is common to both the motor 722 and spool 710.

A portion of the transmission mechanism 724 (e.g., the shaft 732 of thespool 710) will penetrate through an aperture 736 (shown in FIG. 19B) inthe spool housing 702. In some examples, a seal can be provided that canpermit the transmission mechanism 724 to penetrate through the aperture736 while inhibiting fluids and other materials from transferringthrough the aperture 736. Thus, a sterile field within the spool housing702 can be preserved with respect to the environment outside of thespool housing 702. In addition or alternatively, the spool drive system700 can comprise a motor housing 740 (shown in FIGS. 19A-B) that can becoupled to the spool housing 702 (e.g., via fasteners) to enclose themotor 722 and transmission mechanism 724. The motor housing 740 can besealed against the spool housing 702 to provide a sterile environmentaround the motor 722 and transmission mechanism 724 that is sealed froman environment exterior to the motor housing 740.

In some examples, the motor 722 can be battery powered. Furthermore, themotor 722 can be operatively connected to the controller 302 of thecontrol system 300 described above, which can selectively operate themotor 722 to translate the clearance wire assembly 400 in any of themanners described above. In particular, the controller 302 can beconfigured to selectively operate the motor 722 according to aparticular program and/or in response to the parameter(s) detected bythe sensor(s) 306 of the control system 300. Moreover, the controlsystem 300 and controller 302 may reside at least partially within themotor housing 740, as shown in FIG. 19B.

The spool housing 702 will likely be separated from the blood path by aseal that allows a vacuum to be maintained in the fluid path. The spoolhousing 702 may need to be sterile, having a seal that maintainssterility form the motor housing. The seal may also maintain a pressureas a safety (backup) against losing pressure. The seals can take variousforms such as rubber seals or welds. Where a rotating shaft ortranslating wire traverses a seal, it will need to be an appropriatetype of seal. In an alternate embodiment the motor housing 740 may beremovably coupled to the spool housing 702, so that it can be reused andthe spool housing 702 disposed of.

Turning to FIG. 20 , in a variation of the spool drive assembly 700described above, the spool 710 is replaced with a roller 750 and thetrack 712 is replaced with coiled tube 752. In this example, the spooldrive assembly 700 has an inlet tube 754 with a cutout region 756 andthe roller 750 is disposed within the cutout region 756 and is rotatablerelative to the spool housing 702. The guide wire 402 of the clearancewire assembly 400 can be fed through the inlet 704 of the spool housing702 such that a portion of the guide wire 402 will reside between (andpreferably engage) the outer circumference of the roller 750 and aninner surface of the inlet tube 754. The roller 750 can then be rotatedin one direction (e.g., counter-clockwise) to pull the guide wire 402proximally (i.e., away from the patient) through the space between theroller 750 and the inner surface of the inlet tube 754, thereby causingthe guide wire 402 to retract through the medical tube 100.Alternatively, the roller 750 can be rotated in an opposite direction(e.g., clockwise) to push the guide wire 402 distally (i.e., toward thepatient) through the space between the roller 750 and the inner surfaceof the inlet tube 754, thereby causing the guide wire 402 to advancethrough the medical tube 100. The roller 750 can be rotated similar tothe spool 710 using the motor 722 and control system 300 describedabove.

The coiled tube 752 will receive the guide wire 402 as it is pulledproximally by the roller 750 into the spool housing 702. The coiled tube752 may be manufactured from a low friction material. Various polymersmay be used such as PTFE, FEP, or other low friction polymer. However,it is to be appreciated that the tube 752 can have other configurationsin other examples such as, for example, a straight configuration.Moreover, in some embodiments the coiled tube 752 may be integral withthe spool housing 702.

Turning to FIG. 21 , the fluid system 10 in some embodiments can includea conveyor drive system 800 that is operable to convey, for example, theconveyor-type wire assembly 400 discussed above in connection with FIGS.12A-C. The conveyor drive system 800 includes a conveyor tube 802 havinga distal end 804 that is coupled to the proximal end 104 of the medicaltube 100 and a proximal end 806 that is fluidly coupled to a suctionsource such as, for example, the receptacle 202 of the drain assembly200 shown in FIG. 2 . A pulley 442 at a proximal end of the wireassembly 400 resides within the conveyor tube 802 and is arranged suchthat a rotational axis of the pulley 442 intersects with and isperpendicular to the central axis of the conveyor tube 802.

The conveyor drive system 800 includes a motor 812 arranged outside ofthe conveyor tube 802 that is rotatably coupled to the pulley 442 withinthe conveyor tube 802 via a transmission mechanism 814. In theillustrated embodiment, the transmission mechanism 814 comprises a firstbevel gear 816 fixed to a shaft 818 of the motor 812 and a second bevelgear 820 fixed to a shaft 822 of the pulley 442 that threadably engagesthe first bevel gear 816. However, the transmission mechanism 814 maycomprise other types and/or combinations of gears and shafts in otherexamples to rotatably couple the motor 812 to the pulley 442. Indeed, insome examples, the transmission mechanism 814 may simply consist of ashaft that is common to both the motor 812 and pulley 442.

A portion of the transmission mechanism 814 (e.g., the shaft 822 of thepulley 442) will penetrate through an aperture 826 in the conveyor tube802. In some examples, a seal can be provided that can permit thetransmission mechanism 814 to penetrate through the aperture 826 whileinhibiting fluids and other materials from transferring through theaperture 826. Thus, a sterile field within the conveyor tube 802 can bepreserved with respect to the environment outside of the conveyor tube802. In addition or alternatively, the drive system 800 can comprise ahousing 830 that will enclose the motor 812 and transmission mechanism814. The housing 830 can have a sealed inlet 834 and sealed outlet 836that the conveyor tube 802 can extend through such that the portion ofthe conveyor tube 802 penetrated by the transmission mechanism 814 isalso enclosed within the housing 830. Thus, the housing 830 can providea sterile environment around the motor 812, transmission mechanism 814,and conveyor tube 802 that is sealed from an environment exterior to thehousing 830.

The motor 812 of the drive system 800 can be operated to rotate thepulley 442 within the conveyor tube 802, which in turn will result inconveyance of the wire assembly 440 about the pulley 442. In someexamples, the pulley 422 can comprise teeth about its perimeter thatwill engage the belt 440 and/or clearance members 444 of the wireassembly 400 as the pulley 422 is rotated to facilitate conveyance ofthe wire assembly 400. In other examples, the pulley 422 may simplycomprise a smooth circumferential surface and the wire assembly 400 willbe tensioned about the circumferential surface such that rotation of thepulley 422 will convey the wire assembly 400 via friction between thewire assembly 400 and the circumferential surface.

The motor 812 can be operated such that the belt 440 of the wireassembly 400 conveys continuously or intermittently about the pulleys442. Moreover, the motor 812 can be operated such that the belt 440conveys at all times in the same direction (e.g., clockwise) or inalternating directions (e.g., clockwise and then counter-clockwise). Insome examples, the motor 812 can be operatively connected to thecontroller 302 of the control system 300 described above, which canselectively operate the motor 812 to convey the clearance wire assembly400 in any of the manners described above. In particular, the controller302 can be configured to selectively operate the motor 812 according toa particular program and/or in response to the parameter(s) detected bythe sensor(s) 306 of the control system 300.

In some examples, the conveyor drive system 800 will include one or morebrushes 838 located within the conveyor tube 802 that will engage theclearance members 444 and/or the belt 440 of the clearance wire assembly400 as the belt 440 is conveyed about the pulley 442. This can helpclean the clearance wire assembly 400 and dislodge any material that maybe collected on the clearance wire assembly 400. The brushes 838 may beheparin coated

Another example conveyor drive system 800 is illustrated in FIGS. 22A &22B, which is operable to convey, for example, the conveyor-type wireassembly 400 discussed above in connection with FIG. 13 . The conveyordrive system 800 includes a housing 852 having two ports 854 that areeach fluidly coupled to one of the two proximal portions 114 of themedical tube 100. The housing 852 can further include a third port 856that is fluidly coupled to a suction source such as, for example, thereceptacle 202 of the drain assembly 200 shown in FIG. 2 . Arrangedwithin the housing 852, the drive system 800 can further include asprocket 858 that is rotatable. Moreover, the housing 852 can define atrack 862 that extends partially (e.g., halfway) about the perimeter ofsprocket 858 and is coaxial with the sprocket 858.

The housing 852 and the medical tube 100 together will form thecontinuous loop 118 that the belt 440 of the wire assembly 400 isconveyed about. More specifically, the belt 440 will extend through themedical tube 100, into the housing 852 through both ports 854, and wraparound the sprocket 858 along the track 862.

The conveyor drive system 800 includes a motor 866 (shown in FIG. 22B)arranged outside of the housing 852 that is rotatably coupled to thesprocket 858 within the housing 852 via a transmission mechanism 868. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the transmission mechanism 868 comprises ashaft that is common to both the motor 866 and the sprocket 858.However, the transmission mechanism 868 may comprise additional gearsand/or shafts in other examples to rotatably couple the motor 866 to thesprocket 858.

A portion of the transmission mechanism 868 will penetrate through anaperture 870 in the housing 852. Preferably, a seal can be provided thatcan permit the transmission mechanism 868 to penetrate through theaperture 870 while inhibiting fluids and other materials fromtransferring through the aperture 870. Thus, a sterile field within thehousing 852 can be preserved with respect to the environment outside ofthe housing 852.

The motor 866 of the drive system 800 can be operated to rotate thesprocket 858 within the housing 852, which in turn will result inconveyance of the wire assembly 400 about the sprocket 858. In thepresent example, the sprocket 858 comprises spindles 872 that willengage the clearance members 444 of the wire assembly 400 as thesprocket 858 is rotated to facilitate conveyance of the wire assembly400. In other examples, the sprocket 858 can comprise teeth about itsperimeter that will engage the belt 440 and/or clearance members 444 ofthe wire assembly 400 as the sprocket 858 is rotated to facilitateconveyance of the wire assembly 400. Still in other examples, thesprocket 858 may simply comprise a smooth circumferential surface andthe wire assembly 400 will be tensioned about the circumferentialsurface such that rotation of the sprocket 858 will convey the wireassembly 400 via friction between the wire assembly 400 and thecircumferential surface.

The motor 866 can be operated such that the wire assembly 400 conveyscontinuously or intermittently about the sprocket 858. Moreover, themotor 866 can be operated such that the belt 440 conveys at all times inthe same direction (e.g., clockwise) or in alternating directions (e.g.,clockwise and then counter-clockwise). In some examples, the motor 866can be operatively connected to the controller 302 of the control system300 described above, which can selectively operate the motor 866 toconvey the clearance wire assembly 400 in any of the manners describedabove. In particular, the controller 302 can be configured toselectively operate the motor 866 according to a particular programand/or in response to the parameter(s) detected by the sensor(s) 306 ofthe control system 300.

The various drive systems 500, 600, 700, 800 discussed above can each beutilized to move the clearance wire assembly 400 within the medical tube100 according to one or more of the manners described above. Inparticular, the drive systems 500, 600, 700, 800 can each be utilized totranslate, rotate, and/or convey the clearance wire assembly 400 withinthe medical tube 100. Moreover, the drive systems 500, 600, 700, 800 canbe operatively coupled to a controller such as, for example, thecontroller 302 of the control system 300 described above, in order toautomatically control movement of the clearance wire assembly 400 withinthe medical tube 100. Preferably, the drive systems 500, 600, 700, 800can be configured (e.g., sized and shaped) to be hand held and in someexamples, disposable. If a drive system is motorized, the motor can bepowered with rechargeable batteries. Moreover, in some examples, themotor can be powered by a power assembly that is separate from a mainbody of the drive system and connected to the main body via wiring, asshown in FIG. 23 . By separating the power assembly, the power assemblycan be replaced/recharged without having to disassemble the main body ofthe drive system.

For embodiments wherein the fluid system 10 has a drive system (e.g.,one of drive systems 500, 600, 700, 800) configured to translate orconvey the clearance wire assembly 400 along the passageway 106 of themedical tube 100, the drive system can be configured to permitcalibration of the distance translated/conveyed by the clearance wireassembly 400. For instance, FIG. 24 shows an example spool drive system700 configured to translate the clearance wire assembly 400 along thepassageway 106 of the medical tube 100. The spool drive system 700 canbe operated to advance the clearance wire assembly 400 toward the distalend 102 of the medical tube 100 until the clearance wire assembly 400reaches a position desired to be a fully-advanced position. For example,the spool drive system 700 can be operated to advance the clearance wireassembly 400 toward the distal end 102 of the medical tube 100 until thedistal end of the clearance wire assembly 400 reaches the distal end 102of the medical tube 100. The position of the clearance wire assembly 400can be detected using various means such as by counting steps of astepper motor, hall sensors, optical encoder, etc. A button, switch,touchscreen, or some other structure can then be engaged (e.g., pressed)by a user to send a signal to a controller (e.g., controller 302)indicating that clearance wire assembly 400 is in the fully-advancedposition. The controller can then store this position in memory tocalibrate the fully-advanced position for the drive system 700.

Similarly, the spool drive system 700 can be operated to retract theclearance wire assembly 400 toward the proximal end 104 of the medicaltube 100 until the clearance wire assembly 400 reaches a positiondesired to be a fully-retracted position. For example, the spool drivesystem 700 can be operated to retract the clearance wire assembly 400toward the proximal end 104 of the medical tube 100 until the distal endof the clearance wire assembly 400 is proximal to a set of apertures 110in a distal portion the medical tube 100. The position of the clearancewire assembly 400 can be detected using various means such as bycounting steps of a stepper motor, hall sensors, optical encoder, etc. Abutton, switch, touchscreen, or some other structure can then be engaged(e.g., pressed) by a user to send a signal to a controller (e.g.,controller 302) indicating that clearance wire assembly 400 is in thefully-retracted position. The controller can then store this position inmemory to calibrate the fully-retracted position for the drive system700.

Once the fully-advanced position and fully-retracted position have beencalibrated, the controller can operate the drive system 700 such thatthe clearance wire assembly 400 translates within the medical tube 100between the fully-advanced position and fully-retracted position.

It is to be appreciated that any of the drive systems 500, 600, 800discussed above can also be similarly calibrated as the drive system 700shown in FIG. 24 . Furthermore, in some examples, the drive systems 500,600, 700, 800 can be configured to automatically calibrate without theneed for a user to indicate when the clearance wire assembly 400 hasreached the fully-advanced position and/or fully-retracted position. Forinstance, in some examples each drive system 500, 600, 700, 800 caninclude one or more sensors (e.g., sensor(s) 306) that can detect whenits associated clearance wire assembly 400 has reached thefully-advanced position and/or fully-retracted position and send asignal to its associated controller indicating the wire assembly'sposition such that the controller can store the position in memory andcalibrate the drive system.

Turning now to FIG. 25 , a Y-coupling 900 will be described that can beused to couple the medical tube 100 to various structures such as, forexample, the drive systems 500, 600, 700, 800 discussed above. TheY-coupling 900 includes a first tube portion 902 a having an end 904 athat can be fluidly coupled to the proximal end 104 of the medical tube100. The Y-coupling 900 further includes a second tube portion 902 bhaving an end 904 b that can be fluidly coupled to a suction source suchas, for example, the receptacle 202 of the drain assembly 200 shown inFIG. 2 . Moreover, the Y-coupling 900 further includes a third tubeportion 902 c having an end 904 c that can be coupled to anotherstructure such as, for example, an inlet or port of one of the drivesystems 500, 600, 700, 800 discussed above. For instance, FIG. 19A showsthe Y-coupling 900 wherein the end 904 c is coupled to the spool drivesystem 700 discussed above.

The Y-coupling 900 defines a passageway 910 that provides fluidcommunication between the end 904 a of the first tube portion 902 a andthe end 904 b and of the second tube portion 902. Thus, the passageway910 can provide a path for material to be sucked out of the medical tube100 and discharged to the suction source.

The Y-coupling 900 further includes an aperture 912 that extends throughthe third tube portion 902 c and opens into the passageway 910. Theaperture 912 is sized to permit the guide wire 402 of the clearance wireassembly 400 to pass through the aperture 912. Thus, when the medicaltube 100 is connected to the Y-coupling 900, the guide wire 402 canextend from within the medical tube 100, through the Y-coupling 900, andinto whatever structure is coupled to the end 904 c of the Y-coupling900.

In some examples, at least a portion of the aperture 912 (e.g., portion912 a) has a diameter that is just slightly larger than the diameter ofthe guide wire 402. This will permit the guide wire 402 to pass throughthe aperture 912 but inhibit fluids (e.g., bodily fluids) and othermaterials from passing through the aperture 912. By inhibiting fluidsand other materials from passing through the aperture 912, a vacuumwithin the passageway 910 (and the medical tube 100 in fluidcommunication with the passageway 910) can be preserved and isolatedfrom whatever pressurized environment may be in communication with theend 904 c of the third tube portion 902 c. Moreover, fluids (e.g.,bodily fluids) and other materials passing through the passageway 910can be inhibited from passing through the aperture 912 into whateverstructure is coupled to the end 904 c of the third tube portion 902 c.

In addition or alternatively, in some examples one or more cylindricalbushings 914 can be provided within the aperture 912 that the guide wire402 can pass through. Each bushing 914 can comprise, for example,Delrin, ceramic, stainless steel, PEEK, PTFE, closed cell urethane foam,packed fibers, and/or other materials.

In addition or alternatively, in some examples one or more cylindricalwipers can be provided within the aperture 912 to inhibit fluids (e.g.,bodily fluids) and other materials from passing through the aperture912. For example, a cylindrical wiper 916 may be provided within theaperture 912 that the guide wire 402 can pass through. The wiper 916preferably comprises a porous material that can absorb any fluid thatmay attempt to pass through the wiper 916 with the guide wire 402. Forexample, the wiper 916 may comprise a foam, such as an open cell orclosed cell polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, hydrophilic foam,hydrogel, polyester weave, etc. In other examples, the wiper 916 maycomprise a thin membrane of silicone rubber.

In addition or alternatively, in some examples one or more cylindricallubricators 918 can be provided within the aperture 912 that willlubricate the guide wire 402 as it passes through the lubricator(s) 918.Each lubricator can comprise, for example, medical grade silicone oil,heparin solution, PTFE lubricant, mineral oil, petroleum jelly, etc.

In addition or alternatively, in some examples one or more valves 920can be provided within the aperture 912 that can be actuated toselectively open and close fluid communication through aperture 912.

In the illustrated example, the Y-coupling 900 includes the combinationof the smaller diameter portion 912 a, the bushing 914, the wiper 916,the lubricator 918, and the valve 20 described above. In such examples,these four elements are preferably arranged such that the smallerdiameter portion 912 a is distal to the bushing 914, the bushing 914 isdistal to the wiper 916, the wiper 916 is distal to the lubricator 918,and the lubricator 918 and distal to the valve 920, though otherarrangements and/or combinations of these elements are possible in otherexamples.

In addition a seal may be used at the junction of the fluid path 910 andthe channel 912 to restrict or eliminate fluid and debris from enteringthe channel. The seal may be an elastomer gasket such as a domed slitvalve or flat seal that allows passage of the guide wire and in someconfigurations the clearance member.

Turning to FIG. 26 , in some examples the Y-coupling 900 comprisesbristles 920 within the aperture 912 that will mechanically removematerial (e.g., clot) from the guide wire 402 as it translates throughthe aperture 912. The removal of material occurs at the turn off to thevacuum source to encourage such material to be removed toward thedrainage canister. A valve may be provided to separate the bristles 920from the fluid path to prevent blood clot from collecting on thebristles 920.

Another example Y-coupling 900 is illustrated in FIG. 27 that has anaperture 912 that is closely fitting to the guide wire 402, which servesto scrape large blood clot and debris off of the wire, it has a bushing914 that may be a rigid material (for e.g. delrin, polycarbonate, etc)or an elastomeric material such as silicone rubber that provides a sealto separate the fluid path, which may be under vacuum and the spoolcompartment, which may be at atmospheric pressure, it also serves towipe additional blood and other fluid from the wire to reduce potentialthem to be brought into the spool compartment. The y-junction may alsohave a wiper 916, which may be made from open cell polyurethane foam,hydrophilic foam or other hydrophilic material such as a hydrogel, orother media, that is preferably porous. Moreover, the passageway 910comprises two linear channels that intersect (as opposed to the curvedchannel as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 )

Turning now to FIG. 28 , an elastomeric return feature will now bedescribed that can facilitate translation of the clearance wire assembly400 through the medical tube 100. More specifically, the medical tube100 in some examples can include an elastic member 120 extending withinthe passageway 106 that is fixedly coupled at its distal end 122 to aportion (e.g., the distal end 102) of the medical tube 100. The elasticmember 120 can be further fixedly coupled at its proximal end 124 to aportion (e.g., guide wire 402) of the clearance wire assembly 400. Theelastic member 120 can be configured such that as the clearance wireassembly 400 retracts through the medical tube 100 toward it proximalend 104, the elastic member 120 will be stretched by the clearance wireassembly 400. In this stretched state, the elastic member 120 will bias(e.g., pull) the clearance wire assembly 400 toward the distal end 102of the medical tube 100. This bias from the elastic member 120 can helpmaintain the guide wire 402 of the clearance wire assembly 400 in astraight configuration within the medical tube 100, particularly duringlater advancement of the clearance wire assembly 400 toward the distalend 102 of the medical tube 100.

Turning now to FIG. 29 , the medical tube 100 in some examples caninclude a conical seat 123 that can facilitate disruption of materialthat may accumulate on a clearance member of the clearance wire assembly400. The conical seat 128 extends radially inward and in a proximaldirection from the distal end 102 of the medical tube 100, within thepassageway 106. In this embodiment, the clearance wire assembly 400includes a clearance member in the form of a loop 450. During or afteruse, the clearance wire assembly 400 can be advanced toward the distalend 102 of the medical tube 100 until the conical seat 128 projectsthrough the clearance-member loop 450, thereby disrupting any materialthat may be accumulated within the loop 450.

As discussed above, the clearance wire assembly 400 can be moved withinthe medical tube 100 to facilitate the disruption of materialaccumulated within the medical tube 100. Preferably, an interior surfaceof the medical tube 100 will be coated with a layer of material that canreduce the frictional properties of the medical tube's, thereby reducingany resistance that the medical tube 100 may apply to movement of theclearance wire assembly 400 within the medical tube 100. Examplematerials that the inner surface of the medical tube 100 may be coatedwith are hydrophilic coatings, hydrogels, PVP, parylene C, parylene N,PTFE, Pebax and low friction silicone. However, in some examples, it maybe desirable for portions of the medical tube's inner surface to not becoated with a friction-reducing layer.

For instance, as discussed above, the medical tube 100 is some examplescan be fluidly coupled to various structure such as, for example, thedrain assembly 200 described above and/or the drive systems 500, 600,700, 800 described above. To fluidly couple the medical tube 100,fittings such as, for example, hose barbs may be utilized, which can beinserted within an end of the medical tube 100. The end of the medicaltube 100 can then contract to provide a fluid tight seal between thefitting and the medical tube 100. However, if a friction-reducing agentis applied to the medical tube's inner surface where the medical tube100 engages the fitting, a tight fluid seal may not be realized and thefitting could possibly disengage from the medical tube 100.

Accordingly, one aspect of the subject disclosure is directed to amethod of applying a friction-reducing agent to the inner surface of themedical tube 100 wherein portion(s) (e.g., one or both ends or a portionin between) of the medical tube's inner surface are masked prior toapplication of the agent. The inner surface portion(s) can be maskedusing, for example, masking material that is applied to the surfaceportion with adhesive. Alternatively, a cylindrical plug may be insertedwithin the medical tube 100 that has an outer cylindrical wall having adiameter that substantially matches the diameter of the inner surface,and a length corresponding to the length of the tube's ID where it isdesired not to apply a coating. In one example the plug is expandableand may be made from an elastomeric material such as a rubber. Inanother example the plug may have o-rings that engage and seal againstthe ID of the tube. In one example the plug is a tube that is open atits center for the passage of gas or fluid, thereby allowing coating toenter from both sides of the tube. Such a plug can block inner-surfaceportions engaged by the plug from exposure to the agent. Once thedesired inner surface portion(s) have been masked, the friction-reducingagent (e.g., parylene) may be applied to the inner surface of themedical tube 100 to coat the remaining portions of the inner surfacethat are not masked. After the agent is applied (and in some examples,cured or dried), the masking device(s) (e.g. plug(s)) can be removedfrom the medical tube 100.

The method described above can produce a medical tube 100 having aninterior surface that is partially coated with a friction-reducing agentsuch that one or more portions (e.g., one or both ends) of the medicaltube's inner surface are not coated with the agent.

It should be appreciated that the method described above could besimilarly applied to an exterior surface of the medical tube 100 topartially coat the exterior surface with a friction-reducing agent,particularly such that one or more portions (e.g., one or both ends) ofthe medical tube's exterior surface are not coated with the agent. Forexample, the outer surface portion(s) can be masked using, for example,masking material that is applied to the surface portion with adhesive.Alternatively, a cylindrical ring may be slid over the medical tube 100that has an inner cylindrical wall having a diameter that substantiallymatches the diameter of the outer surface, and a length corresponding tothe length of the tube's OD where it is desired not to apply a coating.In one example the ring is expandable and may be made from anelastomeric material such as a rubber. In another example the ring mayhave o-rings that engage and seal against the OD of the tube. Such aring can block outer-surface portions engaged by the ring from exposureto the agent. Once the desired outer surface portion(s) have beenmasked, the friction-reducing agent (e.g., parylene) may be applied tothe outer surface of the medical tube 100 to coat the remaining portionsof the outer surface that are not masked. After the agent is applied(and in some examples, cured or dried), the masking device(s) (e.g.ring(s)) can be removed from the medical tube 100.

The fluid system 10 described above can be useful for deliveringmaterials to the patient's body and/or removing materials from thepatient's body through the described medical tube 100. In some aspects,the fluid system 10 can be configured to deliver therapeutic agentsthrough the medical tube 100 to the patient. For instance, the fluidsystem 10 can comprise a delivery system that is fluidly coupled to theproximal end 104 of the medical tube 100 and is configured to delivertherapeutic agents through the medical tube 100 to the patient such as,for example, fluid (e.g., saline) controlled at a certain temperature(for example, body temperature), anti-inflammatory agents,anti-arrhythmic agents, infection medications, cardiovascular drugs,infectious disease control drugs, anti or pro inflammatory drugs, cancertreatment drugs, drugs to promote pleurodesis, pain relieving drugs, orany combination thereof. The delivery system can be operativelyconnected to a controller (e.g., controller 302) of a control system(e.g., control system 300), which can automatically operate the deliverysystem according to a particular program and/or in response to theparameter(s) detected by one or more sensors (e.g., sensors 306) of thecontrol system. In one embodiment, the exact volume of the fluidinserted is tracked and subtracted from the total volume drained so thatthe volume of drainage is known, and it is known if all the fluid islater removed. With reference to FIG. 30 , in one embodiment, a bodyspace tube has one or more additional lumens in addition to a primarylumen. The additional lumen is for the administration of fluid outsideof the body space tube to facilitate treating the space around the tubewith the fluid. In one embodiment, the fluid is contained in a fluidreservoir that is part of tube clearance drive mechanism, or fluidcollection canister. In one embodiment the fluid is controlled by apump. In one embodiment, the fluid is administered by pressure appliedto the reservoir, controlled by a fluid restricted or restrictive valveto maintain a steady volume of delivery to the body space outside thebody space tube. In one embodiment, the lumen of the supplemental tubeis the exact length of the body space drainage tube. In anotherembodiment, the tube can extend outside of the primary tube in one moredirections to deliver fluid remote from the body space tube. In oneembodiment, this fluid is temperature controlled, to be above bodytemperature, the same a body temperature, or below body temperature. Inone embodiment, the fluid rate is controlled on a cc per minute basis.In one embodiment, the fluid administration is monitored and displayeddigitally. In one embodiment, the fluid administration volume ismonitored and subtracted from the total drainage so the exact amount ofdrainage recorded is divided into fluid delivery and fluid drainedvolumes. In one embodiment, total blood loss is estimated by a formulathat includes total drainage minus administered fluid. In oneembodiment, alarms are provided if the parameters of fluid deliveredfail to evacuate, to prevent unrecognized retained administered fluid.In one embodiment the fluid removed is analyzed for properties such aspH, hematocrit, redox state, temperature (see our other list) to monitorthe recovery of the body space with time from bleeding, infection,inflammation or other physical properties. In one embodiment, this iscombined with medical tube clearance apparatus (all of our prior IP) toprevent the administration of fluid to the space that is not adequatelydrained due to body space drain tube occlusion from clot or otherobstructing material. In one embodiment, the fluid is saline, or otherphysiologically balanced fluid replacement formulas. In one embodiment,the fluid is a chemical to induce pleurodesis (ie talc, tetracycline,doxycycline or other formulas meant to induce a sclerosis). In oneembodiment the fluid is an antibiotic, antifungal, or other agent totreat an infection. In one embodiment, the agent is an anti-cancer agentto treat a neoplasm. In one embodiment, the fluid is ananti-inflammatory agent, anti-arrhythmic agent, anti-fibrinolytic agent,pro-fibrinolytic agents or any combination thereof. In one embodiment,the supplemental lumen can be advanced or retracted. In one embodiment,this can be done over a guide wire to prevent or minimize the potentialfor injury of internal structures.

Although the invention has been described with respect to certainembodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited bythe embodiments herein disclosed, which are exemplary and not limitingin nature, but is to include all modifications and adaptations theretoas would occur to the person having ordinary skill in the art uponreviewing the present disclosure, and as fall within the spirit and thescope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A spool drive system for actuating a guide wire,said system comprising: a housing assembly having first and secondopposing housing portions directly connected to one another and defininga common enclosure therebetween, and an inlet adapted to establish fluidcommunication between a medical tube and said enclosure; a spool withinsaid enclosure, said spool being rotatable about an axis thereof to windand unwind said guide wire on said spool, thereby withdrawing oradvancing, respectively, said guide wire through said inlet; a trackspaced from and extending at least partially about a perimeter of saidspool following a curvature thereof within said enclosure, said trackbeing adapted to direct said guide wire onto or off of said spool aboutthe perimeter thereof as the spool is rotated; a motor disposed withinsaid enclosure and operable to advance or withdraw said guide wire fromor into said enclosure through said inlet, said first and secondopposing housing portions being connected together to yield a singlehand held assembly having both said spool and said motor within thecommon enclosure defined therebetween; and a partition wall disposedwithin and enclosed by the first and second opposing housing portions,said partition wall partitioning the enclosure into first and secondportions thereof, wherein the spool is disposed within the first portionof the enclosure and the motor is disposed within the second portion ofthe enclosure.
 2. The spool drive system of claim 1, said track beingadapted to help maintain the guide wire in a wound state on said spool,preventing unwinding thereof that otherwise may result from stiffness ofthe guide wire.
 3. The spool drive system of claim 1, said trackcomprising a grooved surface extending at least partially about theperimeter of the spool, said grooved surface comprising a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced grooves opposing a perimeter surface of thespool.
 4. The spool drive system of claim 1, said track comprising asurface having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ridges opposing aperimeter surface of the spool.
 5. The spool drive system of claim 1,said track comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced wheelsopposing a perimeter surface of the spool, said wheels being effectiveto rotatably engage the guide wire as it is wound or unwound on thespool.
 6. The spool drive system of claim 5, said wheels being biasedradially toward the perimeter surface of said spool in order toeffectively engage said guide wire upon rotation of the spool.
 7. Thespool drive system of claim 1, said track comprising a plurality of ballbearings confined along a circular path opposing the perimeter surfaceof said spool.
 8. The spool drive system of claim 1, said trackcomprising a low friction material or coating to provide a low-friction,sliding interface between said guide wire and features of said trackupon rotation of said spool.
 9. The spool drive system of claim 1, saidmotor being rotatably coupled to a shaft of said spool that extendsthrough an aperture formed in the partition wall.
 10. The spool drivesystem of claim 9, further comprising a battery within said enclosurefor supplying electrical energy to said motor.
 11. The spool drivesystem of claim 10, further comprising a controller within saidenclosure and operatively connected to said motor, said controller beingconfigured to operate said motor in order to actuate said guide wire byrotating said spool.
 12. The spool drive system of claim 11, saidcontroller being configured to selectively operate said motor accordingto a particular program and/or in response to sensed parameters that arecommunicated to said controller.
 13. The spool drive system of claim 1,further comprising a battery sealed within said hand held assembly forsupplying electrical energy to said motor, wherein said hand heldassembly is configured to be disposable.
 14. The spool drive system ofclaim 13, said hand held assembly being sterile.
 15. The spool drivesystem of claim 1, further comprising a controller within said hand heldassembly and operatively connected to said motor, said controller beingconfigured to operate said motor in order to actuate said guide wire.16. The spool drive system of claim 15, said controller being configuredto selectively operate said motor according to a particular programand/or in response to sensed parameters that are communicated to saidcontroller.
 17. The spool drive system of claim 15, said controllerbeing operatively connected to and forming a part of a control systemthat includes one or more sensors configured to detect one or moreparameters and to send a signal to the controller indicating thedetected one or more parameters.
 18. The spool drive system of claim 17,said one or more sensors being configured to detect one or more of thefollowing conditions of or within the medical tube: an orientation ofthe medical tube; a position of a clearance member within the medicaltube; a pressure level, pH level, glucose level, protein level, or redoxstate of material within the medical tube; a blockage within the medicaltube; a kink in the medical tube; an amount of fibrin clot degradationbyproducts, endotoxins, bacterial infection byproducts, reactive oxygenspecies, or hematocrit in the medical tube.
 19. The spool drive systemof claim 17, said one or more sensors being configured to detect one ormore of the following conditions of a patient who is being treated withthe medical tube: temperature, heart rate and rhythm, arrhythmia,respiratory rate, inflammation level, pain level, or oxygen saturationlevel; orientation of the patient; activity level of the patient;coughing of the patient; a number of steps taken per day by the patient;a type of activity being performed by the patient; location of thepatient; or length of time the patient has been in a particularlocation.
 20. The spool drive system of claim 1, further comprising aY-coupling having a first tube portion configured to be fluidly coupledto the medical tube, a second tube portion configured to be fluidlycoupled to a suction source, and a third tube portion coupled to orcomprising said inlet, wherein advancement and withdrawal of said guidewire extending from said inlet correspondingly advances and withdrawssaid guide wire through said first tube portion.
 21. The spool drivesystem of claim 20, said Y-coupling comprising a cylindrical bushing insaid third tube portion through which the guide wire will pass as it isadvanced and withdrawn in order to wipe material from said guide wire sothat said material does not enter the enclosure.
 22. The spool drivesystem of claim 21, said cylindrical bushing comprising a porousmaterial that can absorb fluid.
 23. The spool drive system of claim 21,said third tube portion comprising a small-diameter, said bushing beinglocated proximal to said small-diameter portion in said third tubeportion, a wiper being disposed proximal to said bushing in said thirdtube portion, and a lubricator being disposed proximal to said wiper insaid third tube portion, wherein said guide wire passes through each ofsaid small-diameter portion, said bushing, said wiper, and saidlubricator within said third tube portion on being advanced andwithdrawn therethrough.
 24. The spool drive system of claim 21, saidY-coupling further comprising bristles effective to abrade and removematerial from the guide wire as it translates through the third tubeportion.
 25. The spool drive system of claim 1, further comprising aY-coupling having a first tube portion configured to be fluidly coupledto the medical tube, a second tube portion configured to be fluidlycoupled to a suction source, and a third tube portion coupled to orcomprising said inlet, wherein advancement and withdrawal of said guidewire extending from said inlet correspondingly advances and withdrawssaid guide wire through said first tube portion.
 26. A method comprisingconnecting the spool drive system of claim 1 to the medical tube toprovide fluid communication between said tube and the inlet of thehousing assembly, and operating the spool to advance or withdraw saidguide wire through said inlet and through said medical tube.